


Redamancy

by red_scorch



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Alternate Universe, Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Clothed Sex, Established Relationship, Fighting, Fluff, M/M, Masturbation, Miqo'te Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Named Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pre-Relationship, Semi-Public Sex, Suggestive Themes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-08
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:14:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25757209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/red_scorch/pseuds/red_scorch
Summary: The act of loving in return; a love returned in full.[Collection of oneshots. Take note of the chapter and its rating.]
Relationships: Warrior of Light/Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV)
Comments: 13
Kudos: 15





	1. Suffer No Interruptions (M)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sorin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sorin/gifts).



> Since December of 2019, I've had the very great pleasure of being able to write and RP with Sorin with A'caji and their character Yhen'a! <3 These two have fit together so well, and in ways I wouldn't have ever imagined. Thank you for these wonderful months and being such a good friend. ;; I'm very excited to share some of what I've written for A'caji and Yhen'a!  
> This first one iirc came from a prompt from that one 'person A person B' generator from awhile ago.  
> You can find me at @red_scorch on Twitter!

The night was cool, but A'caji was plenty warm.

He crowded Yhen'a beneath him on the beach towel, hands cradling his head, fingers rubbing at the base of his ears and his lips hot against the other's. Yhen'a licked into his mouth and he purred, the sound nearly lost to the small waterfall off to the right of them. They barely allowed themselves time to breathe when they parted before meeting again.

"I love you," the other panted when they briefly broke apart.

"I love you," he gasped in return on the next pause.

A'caji's head spun, the only thought in his head to kiss the life out of his partner. His partner. Lips smacked apart and then Yhen'a was nipping at his bottom lip and oh, he shouldn't do that. Heat was already coiling low in his stomach. They were still in public despite this side of Costa Del Sol's beach being deserted and partially hidden away. Anyone could still come down from the main beach. He dove eagerly back down.

“Careful,” he warned, voice rough.

Though he was too close to see Yhen’a’s mouth, he felt his lips pull back in a grin against his own, his eyes dancing. “What? I'm just happy to spend some quality time with my partner.”

A’caji huffed. He pressed his thumbs into the soft insides of Yhen'a's ears and the Keeper's eyes shut. A’caji took a second to admire him and the stars across his cheeks and nose. He shifted and leaned back down, cooling off slightly to lead him into a soft kiss and--

Something pinched his left ankle hard.

He yelped, ears flattening. Yhen’a startled and made a confused chirp as A’caji pushed himself up onto his hands and peered down. A little hermit crab had latched onto his ankle, startling still but definitely pinching nonetheless. His face scrunched up. He had started to reach for it when Yhen’a’s own hand shot past his, deftly unhooked the crab’s hold and proceeded to rear his arm back, tossing it towards the water.

A’caji sat back on his hunches as he watched it sail through the air, flipping. After a long moment it’s momentum brought it back down and it disappeared beneath the water with a faint ‘plunk.’ He watched the pool ripple before fingers gripped his chin and focused him back on the man below him.

He couldn’t help but try to smile amusedly around the fingers. “What was that?”

Yhen’a’s hand left his chin to cradle the side of his head and he leaned into it, his thumb swiping across his cheek. “We deserve a little break and alone time, don’t we? And I’m not going to have a crab take time away from that. In fact, we’ve talked about it too long already.”

A’caji laughed as Yhen’a looped his arms around his neck, pulling him back down. He continued to chuckle into his mouth even when Yhen’a bit at his lip again, but he was laughing too and they had to take a moment to calm themselves, chuckling into the other’s shoulder. Once they quieted A’caji nuzzled his nose into the Keeper’s cheek.

“I love you,” he whispered.

“I love you too.”


	2. Alcove (E)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can find me at @red_scorch on Twitter!

They had barely managed to separate from the raid party on their way out. Everyone was riding high from the battles and their ultimate victory, loud and boisterous all around. But they pushed themselves into a small alcove out of the way, Yhen’a forcing A’caji against the wall as the taller was yanked down by his breastplate’s collar into a searing kiss. Their tongues slid wet against the other, Yhen’a biting down on his bottom lip and he was thankful the group’s voices were already at a distance, fading, as a low groan left him. Before he could say or do anything else they met in another hard kiss. He was dizzy and hot, also riding that high and Yhen’a going at him made a different sort of heat coil in him. All he could do was hook his hands around the back of the Keeper’s shoulders and try to bend his back forward from where he was pressed so tightly against the wall to better meet the other.

Eventually they parted, close enough he could feel Yhen’a growl out, “You’re going to be the death of me.”

"But I—" Yhen'a gave him a disbelieving look and A'caji hurried to continue. "—no, the paladin and warrior didn't grab the other chimeras, what was I supposed to do—"

Yhen’a interrupted him, scolding, "You let _me_ grab them, Caji! I—"

"You were already dealing with your own, I can take some hits—"

" _I_ can take more than _you._ Tell me about them or drag them over if need be, don't just keep—"

"I'm fine, Yhen'a—"

A'caji was pulled down again, his fangs and Yhen’a’s own clacking against the other. It lasted no more than a second before Yhen'a pulled back. “You ought to make this up to me.”

He watched the other’s face, eyes dark with arousal and breath coming quick. His ears flicked and a smile slowly spread across his face. “I should?”

“Yes,” and then Yhen’a was pulling on his collar, but not down to kiss him. He took a small step back and A’caji’s knees made contact with the ground. Silver-blue eyes peered down at him, expectant, as one hand came up to curl around the back of his neck. A’caji sighed and chuckled. Yes, he could certainly make it up to him like this.

He quickly untied the Keeper’s belts and laid them aside, working his pants open and pulling both of them and his undergarments down just enough to free him. He was half hard and A’caji wasted no time leaning in to lick a trail along his length. His tongue rolled against the tip, and he continued to take him into his mouth just a little before lapping at the tip again, repeating the motions until he was fully hard. Yhen’a half sighed, half moaned above him. A’caj did the same in return and ran his mouth along one side before moving to swallow him whole—

His hair was pulled on. Not hard enough to hurt, but enough to jar him and pull him back, a tiny smack coming from where his lips left his length. He looked up at Yhen’a, mouth still slightly agape.

The other’s voice minorly shook as he asked, “Do you have oil?" A'caji blinked, then nodded, humming as he stuck his tongue out to catch Yhen'a's tip. His eyes fluttered and he pulled on A'caji's hair once more. "Prepare me, then?"

A'caji dug into the small pouch at his hip, leaning away as he withdrew a small vial. His fingers were clumsy as he undid his left gauntlet, the straps slipping through his fingers. But it came loose a couple tries later and he laid it aside, the steel clanking in the small alcove. Yhen'a shoved his pants down further as he did so, spreading his legs what he could and leaning over A'caji a little. The Seeker slicked his fingers up and went back to his earlier work, one finger dipping inside. He worked him like that for a bit, mouth humming around him and eventually three fingers stroking short but fast. He took him deep until hair tickled his nose, swallowing hard around him. Yhen'a gasped, mumbling, and curled a hand around one of his ears and caressed it. His hips began thrusting forward, his hand almost holding the other’s head in place. A’caji moaned but forced himself to forget his own pleasure, his own heavy ache. If the oil was anything to go by, Yhen'a didn't want to end it like this.

He was right when a few seconds later Yhen’a pumped his hips once more, then pulled both himself and A’caji’s head gently away. Despite knowing it was coming, he still whined softly. Yhen’a chuckled. “Don’t worry, Caji. Come here.”

Once he was standing again, Yhen’a immediately unfastened his belt and trousers, drawing him out and stroking him once. A’caji sighed shakily. His heart was hammering in his chest.

“Oil?”

A’caji still held it in his armored right hand and after taking a moment to process what was asked, gave it over. Yhen’a grinned at him as he poured some out into one hand, stoppered it and shoved it into a pocket, then pulled A’caji down to kiss him as he slicked him up. He groaned as his hips jerked into the tight grip. He moved with Yhen’a’s hand for a handful of strokes, nipping at his bottom lip. That earned him a bite to his own in return and with a thumb swiping across his tip, Yhen’a let go.

“Switch me.”

They shuffled so the Keeper was now the one against the wall, palms flat against it and his pants shoved down even farther with A’caji pressed flush behind him, gently grinding against him as he unhooked his right gauntlet. They both exhaled loudly as he tried to gently set the armor piece down in his heated state.

Yhen’a sighed, grinding back harder. “Come on, Caji....” When A’caji ran a hand up his back before grabbing his hip, slowly guiding himself in, Yhen’a pushed back, taking half of his cock in one movement. A’caji choked. _“Now.”_

A tiny growl hummed in the back of his throat and he snapped his hips forward the rest of the way. Yhen’a gasped as he very quickly had to adjust his stance what he could when A’caji set a punishing pace. There was little time for either of them to adjust, and it had them burning twice as hot than when they first entered the alcove. He watched from above as his partner quivered, tail jumping and ears flat and A’caji grit his teeth as he drove harder. Yhen’a panted, calling and singing his name, demanding _more_ and he desperately hoped none of their adventuring acquaintances had a mind to come back to look for them. He wasn’t sure he could stop until they were spent.

He leaned forward and whispered, voice rough in Yhen’a’s ear, “Good? Yhen’a?”

That ear flicked as Yhen’a tilted his head to the side. A’caji left open-mouthed kisses along his neck as he did so. “Yes, _yes_ —a-aah!” Although he couldn’t see it, he had the distinct notion Yhen’a was biting his lip, trying to control himself. “Don’t—don’t stop… I want to come, like this…”

Azeyma, he did too. Inside this recess with Yhen’a against the wall, coiled and hot and moaning for him, barely enough armor taken off to get the deed done and not hurt each other with sharp edges. It was fast, impatient, not quite out of the way if anyone came back through and A’caji found himself wanting to _claim._ He growled low, his stomach winding tighter. He gripped Yhen’a’s hips harder, drove harder, and he ran his lips down to the base of his neck and _sank_ his fangs in.

Yhen’a arched inward, voice cracking on a choked yell. A hand flew back to clutch at brown hair, holding him to his neck as he came, jerking beneath him. A’caji followed after hardly a thrust later, growling louder and slowing his thrusts, continuing to move deep. He did so for a bit before his partner whined and he settled for pressing himself as close as he could, wrapping his arms around him. It took a moment after to unhook his fangs and he immediately took to licking at the marks. Yhen’a, in return, petted him.

A’caji sagged against the other, suddenly feeling weak all around. “Okay?”

Yhen’a shivered, still coming down from his high, and urged A’caji’s head up. They kissed softly for a moment. “Perfect,” he said against his lips. His smile morphed into a worried frown and he scritched under A’caji’s chin. “I was serious about what I said before,” Yhen’a nudged him back a little and pulled himself away, and as they cleaned themselves up best they could with what little they had on them, he continued, “Let me take care of our enemies. I’ll keep their attention and you wear them down—as we’ve done.”

A’caji looked off to the side, ears lowering slightly. This wasn’t the first time they had to talk about it since Yhen’a picked up his gunblade, and it wouldn’t be the last; not with both of them worrying so intensely about watching the other’s back. He knew Yhen’a wasn’t mad either, just worried. “...I’ll—say something, next time.”

Yhen’a sighed, but nodded. A’caji was sure he knew he would truly try to not take their enemies for himself, but considering their jobs, their titles, it would be hard to not just throw themselves in if it meant others could escape harm. “Fine,” he granted. “Honestly, I was more worried when I couldn’t see you amongst everyone for a moment, and then suddenly you had this big creature bearing down on you.” He shrugged, eyes closing. When next he looked at A’caji though, his eyes were bright and teasing. “Don’t think I’m done with you yet, though.”

A’caji blinked, though he could feel vague interest stirring in him again. “Ah?”

The Keeper grinned and clumsily tied his belts off. He pulled the other down for a quick kiss. “Let’s go back home first.”


	3. Bedtime (G)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can find me at @red_scorch on Twitter!

Yhen’a’s voice was soft and warm in his ears as he sang, his lap a solid comfort beneath the arm A’caji had swung over it. The covers were equally soft over him and his position was perfect and he felt seconds away from drifting off. His ear gave a slight twitch to the sound of Yhen’a turning a page in his book, but it didn’t bother A’caji in the slightest. It was comforting in its own right. A content purr rumbled strong in his throat and his tail thumped lightly from where it had worked itself free from the covers as he listened to the other. He was fit to fall asleep, but…

A’caji shifted, then slowly pushed himself up with his hands, sitting lightly on his hip to level himself with Yhen’a. Yhen’a’s singing softened further as he peeked at him, then it stopped entirely once A’caji leaned in to kiss him. It was sweet, soft, and he couldn’t help but press in for another—Yhen’a humming as A’caji brought one hand to settle against his hip. After a second he pulled back and nosed long hair out of the way so he could bury his face into Yhen’a’s neck. His eyes closed, heavy, as his head was petted.

It was quiet for a long moment and A’caji assumed Yhen’a went back to reading his book. But eventually the other lightly laughed. A’caji’s ears fluttered at the sound. “Do you plan on laying back down?”

He mumbled in return, still purring, pressing himself closer to the other as he fully wrapped his arms around him. He was perfectly fine where he was… Just fine…

Yhen’a gave another laugh, quieter this time. He lowered his book and petted A’caji’s head again. “Here, lay down,” at his husband’s noise of vague refusal, he added softly, “You can wrap me back up in a moment. Lay down.”

After a second he slowly drew away, scooting himself back down and effectively dropping all his weight back onto the bed at once. Hmm… he was so tired, but he wanted to hold Yhen’a nonetheless _. _ The contact felt needed, in a warm, loving way. He heard the man shuffle his book around for a moment before setting it aside, then more movement before a nose pressed against his collarbone and they pulled one another together. A’caji set his chin atop his head, cradling him, his tail thumping another beat against the floor. Yhen’a’s purring joined his own.

“I love you,” he whispered.

Yhen’a nuzzled against his neck. “I love you too, my Caji… Goodnight.”

_ This _ was perfect. A’caji pressed his nose into Yhen’a’s hair. “Goodnight.”


	4. Morning (G)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can find me at @red_scorch on Twitter!

He woke up slow, warmed, and for a bit his mind didn't quite break past that sleepy, semi-conscious state. After a moment, he rolled over and reached out and once A’caji found what he wanted, he pulled both himself and the other closer. He wanted to be careful just in case Yhen’a had fallen asleep, but the soft chuckle in his ears told him otherwise. His ears twitched forward before he buried his nose into Yhen’a’s hair and settled in for a bit longer. He wasn’t sure how much longer he dozed for, but eventually his eternal clock said enough was enough and he found himself more or less fully awake. It didn’t stop him from laying there a bit more, but after a few more minutes he nuzzled into Yhen’a again, kissing his crown.

Blearily, he blinked his eyes open, tilting his head down to see Yhen’a flip a page of the book he held above himself. “Good morning,” he whispered, voice rough.

The ear folded down beneath A’caji’s chin flicked. Yhen’a marked his book and set it aside before he rolled into the other. “Good morning. Did you sleep well?”

A’caji nodded and hummed, his tail thumping freely and he realized he had thrown the covers off of himself in the night. “How were you?”

“Just fine,” Yhen’a pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth. “I did some cleaning and writing. I’m almost done with my book, too.”

A’caji stretched, his body quivering and a soft sound escaping his throat. Once he relaxed he pressed his own kiss beneath one of Yhen’a’s eyes. “How is it?”

For a while he listened to Yhen’a talk about his book, the story and its characters and where the story was at so far. He talked about how he wanted to see it end, but was certain it wouldn’t end in quite that way. He liked certain characters and spoke equally of their positives and their shortcomings. A’caji ran a hand up and down Yhen’a’s back as he spoke, playing with the ends of his hair, and pressed kisses to his forehead. He saw Yhen’a’s tail curl and uncurl with each one.

After a bit, a powerful yawn interrupted Yhen’a’s words and he covered it with the back of his hand. A’caji smiled. “Why don’t you go to sleep? I’ll have lunch ready for you once you’re up.”

“I can stay up…” the other protested, but A’caji could see a little distantness in his eyes.

“Sleep. You need it.” He pushed himself up onto his elbows as Yhen’a wrapped his arms around his neck. A’caji thought maybe it was to keep him there, but when he went onto his knees, his husband went up with him. He chuckled. “Are you coming with me?” Yhen’a made an affirmative noise and leaned in and A’caji met him in the middle. It was sweet and soft and once they separated, A’caji asked quietly, “If I stay with you until then, will you sleep?”

"Maybe," the Keeper replied, a thin grin spreading across his face. "You'll just have to _lay_ and _lay_ here with me to find out."

A'caji huffed a laugh, realizing Yhen'a was probably going to keep himself awake as long as he could to monopolize his time. But that was okay—there likely wasn't much for him to do around the house today. Besides a brief trip out of the house before it got too late, there was cleaning whatever else Yhen'a hadn't gotten to, harvesting the garden and maybe catch up on his own reading. He didn't feel much like trying to write today.

"Okay." He said lightly, lowering them both back down.

Yhen'a's ears and tail flicked in delight and he held himself tight to the other. A'caji both heard and felt him purr against him and it pulled his own from his throat. For some time they traded kisses in between quiet spaces of simply laying there, enjoying the calmness. They'd part and A'caji would place a kiss on Yhen'a's cheek, and then his husband would immediately return with his own to his chin. It was serene and perfect and A'caji knew how lovesick they were acting, but after everything, he thought maybe they deserved to sink into each other like this. He almost had the mind to drift back off for a bit.

Not too long later Yhen'a's kisses grew slow and his purr weakly puttering out. A'caji watched as his eyes drooped and Yhen’a shook his head, making a protesting sound. A'caji smiled and pressed a kiss to his forehead, his brow, then his cheek. The other’s lids dropped lower in response. There was a small sliver of silver-blue visible.

"Sleep well, Yhen'a," he whispered. "I love you."

Yhen’a made another sound, then tilted his head just a little to convey his want, eyes closing entirely. "I love you, Caji."

A'caji did as asked and kissed him lightly and watched as Yhen'a's breaths evened out, finally falling to sleep. He watched him for just a bit longer before pressing his lips once more to the base of a white ear. He tucked him in, then quietly made his way to the washroom.


	5. Trouble (T)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yhen'a and A'caji take a trip back to the former's childhood home in the Shroud, but Yhen'a's cousin continues to make himself a menace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tahbe'a and Yhen also belong to Sorin~ I'm realizing a lot of these drabbles end with them saying 'I love you' gkjfs  
> You can find me at @red_scorch on Twitter!

When one of Yhen’a’s aunts asked A’caji to take a small basket and a pail—the basket for gathering wild berries and the pail to fill with water from the nearby river—to help with dinner, he was more than happy to help...and perhaps a little relieved. Yhen’a and his mother had already left a bit ago to hunt and Tahbe’a had disappeared to who knew where, so it was just A’caji and his fiancée’s aunts at the house. They were nice and kind ladies, just...very lively and he found himself sighing in relief once the door to the house closed behind him.

Given the general direction of where the berries grew, he went into the treeline along the east side and walked a bit from there. Once the bright red of the berries caught his eye, he sat his things down, rolled up his sleeves, and settled in. Once he picked a few, careful of them between his fingers, he glanced around. The day was nice, warm, a slight breeze filtering through the trees and the sun spotting through the leaves. The trill of a few birds were distant and not especially pervasive. Over the years, A’caji had spent the least amount of time in the Black Shroud between the three city states, and it wasn’t until he and Yhen’a began living in the Lavender Beds that he was surrounded by so much lush greenery and towering trees. It was pleasant. Comforting in a different way from the blaring sun in Thanalan or the Lochs or the rays shining past the spires in Limsa. He dropped more berries into the basket. He hoped hunting was going well for Yhen’a and his mother.

A twig snapped and the ear closest to it swerved towards it immediately, his head following after. Although, when A’caji saw who it was, he had to restrain himself from—he wasn’t sure. Rolling his eyes? Pinning his ears back? Telling Tahbe’a to piss off? Whatever his reaction was going to be, he suppressed it, instead turning his attention back to plucking berries and letting them fall into the basket. He just knew he shouldn't give him any attention. Maybe if he ignored him  _ really well _ he’d get bored.

But from what Yhen’a had told him about his cousin, and judging by the sly smirk the man had before A’caji had looked away, that was not at all likely to happen.

“You’re so  _ kind _ , Caji,” Tahbe’a jeered, and A’caji whipped around before he could stop himself. “I’m sure Yhen appreciates the help, even from someone like you.”

“It’s A’caji,” he cut in, sharp.

His lips pulled into a frown and he shrugged. “What, didn’t I say it right? You  _ are _ family now,  _ Caji _ .”

Anger flared in his chest. He wanted to retaliate with something like ‘you have a funny way of treating your  _ family _ ’ as he recalled what had happened between him and Yhen’a just yesterday, but he forced himself to turn away and continue picking. He didn’t consider this man family or friend, and thus had no right to call him so  _ familiarly _ . A berry burst between his fingers from gripping too hard and he flicked his fingers to get it off. Whatever. Whatever. He was almost done here and then he could fetch the water and go back to the house. As much as he wanted to shut the man up, he didn’t want to make a mess out of it and look bad in front of Yhen’a’s family. Not that anyone would blame him for going at Tahbe’a…

But he figured if he was going to fight him, he was going to go for the throat.

Tahbe’a made a sound behind him as if he just remembered something. “Oh! Tell me, Caji, I’m curious. Don’t Seeker tribes revolve around one man fathering many children?” When A’caji didn’t reply, instead opting to stand up, retrieve his basket and pail, then start off in the direction of the river, Tahbe’a just continued undeterred and followed after him. “Does that mean you have quite a few females to yourself? After all, you’re a  _ Warrior of Light! _ Surely you wouldn’t pass up such an opportunity.”

A’caji sighed under his breath. He could tell where this was going—not that he cared. Being the Nunh of a tribe wasn’t his goal in life, although he likely wouldn’t be allowed anyway, being half-Keeper as he was. But that was fine. He was more than perfectly happy with Yhen’a and only Yhen’a, fathering no children to his name.

Tahbe’a mockingly hummed. “You don’t? Well, I suppose it only makes sense. You’re just a poor little half-Seeker thing—probably too weak to contend with the real men, hm?”

His brows furrowed, but A’caji kept walking.

"That just makes you perfect for Yhen'a, I suppose. Too stupid to follow your blood, outcasts to your own people. Savage though you are, it must be nice to have found someone to shack up with—"

A’caji lightly tossed the empty pail up in the air, caught it by it’s lip and turned around and hurled it at Tahbe’a. The Keeper reeled back and threw an arm up to shield his face, where the pail hit hard enough to jar his arm. Right as he brought it down A'caji was already on him and Tahbe'a made a bad block to keep from getting punched in the cheekbone. He was prepared for A’caji then, grinning, and it made him want to wipe that look off his face. A’caji managed to cut his cheek, but it also earned him a slug to his jaw.

“What? Can’t take the truth?” he spit.

He knew he had been baited. To what end, A’caji wasn’t even sure. Tahbe’a was badly bruised from yesterday in his fight with Yhen’a, one of his eyes blackened and the white of it blood red around the edges, so he wasn’t sure why the man wanted to fight  _ more _ —but he’d be damned if he didn’t  _ beat the shite out of him _ . A'caji's head snapped back and his cheek gave a dull throb. A growl forced itself from his throat.

The sound made Tahbe’a grin. “But what else would I expect from a  _ halfling _ ?”

He slammed into Tahbe’a, knocking him to the ground and A’caji dropped on top of him before he could right himself, still wailing. He punched where he could as hard as he could and claws scrapped at him. His knuckles were hurting. He couldn't even find words to throw back at him. He just wanted the man to  _ shut up _ . He and Yhen'a already had to take so much shite from everything else in the world, why did they have to take it from Yhen'a's  _ cousin? _ Tahbe'a was trying to push and buck him off, but he was going to beat this man within an inch of his life—

_ "Caji!” _

A’caji froze. He looked directly up from where he and Tahbe'a were, just barely finding Yhen'a and his mother tearing through the trees. When he looked back down, it was to Tahbe'a throwing a handful of dirt into his eyes. His eyes seared hot and A'caji shouted, rearing back. He could only feel it when his nose crunched beneath Tahbe'a's fist and blood immediately flowed over his lips as he fell backwards. On reflex A'caji wiped at his eyes, only making the pain worse as tears streamed down his face and hands clawed at his clothes and hair to have him face up. He swung out, but without sight to aim it seemed like he missed Tahbe'a entirely.

"Get  _ off _ him!" he heard Yhen'a call and he had the sense the Keeper pushed off of him before Yhen'a could barrel into him, if Yhen’a stomping to a halt was any indication.

“Are  _ you _ going to fight his battles for him now? At least he lasted a little longer—”

“Not this again, Tahbe’a,” he heard Yhen scold, a genuine edge of anger in her voice A’caji hadn’t heard before. “Menphina, leave them be!”

There was a beat of silence before Tahbe'a scoffed, disgusted. A’caji tried to sit himself up, his head spinning something awful and his face a mess of pain. He heard Yhen’a kneel down next to him, setting a hand on his back to help him up.

Yhen’a gasped softly and he wondered if it was at the blood dripping off his face. “Go away Tahbe’a.  _ Now. _ ”

It was quiet for a long moment besides A’caji wheezing his breaths out and he supposed Tahbe’a considered them not worth messing with anymore with Yhen there, because he heard him move around to walk behind them and slink off in some other direction. After another moment, Yhen sighed, and she shuffled down next to the both of them. A hand settled under his chin, lifting it, and he winced when fingers gently prodded his nose.

“I don’t think it’s broken,” she mused. “Fractured, certainly, but not broken,” she released his chin to instead place her hand on the back of his head. “Keep your head down a little. And pinch your nose too. Yhen’a, take him to the house and help him clean up—I’ll help set his nose once I’m back. I’ll take care of everything else for dinner and you  _ better believe _ I’m going to be talking to Tahbe’a.”

No argument there. “Okay, mama. Here, Caji…”

With help, A’caji was able to struggle to his feet. As Yhen’a started to lead him away, A’caji stopped and, though he knew he shouldn’t yet, released his nose as he turned just his head back towards Yhen. He ducked it, however and his ears tilted downward. “I’m sorry, Yhen.”

He heard what he thought was the pail being picked up before she hummed a questioning note. “Whatever for, you certainly don’t need to be.”

“Ah… I dropped everything—and I should have known better than…”

“Nonsense. We all know how Tahbe’a is, and whatever was said, you had every right to be angry with him,” there was shuffling for a moment before she exhaled and continued, “If anything, I apologize for us distracting you. The nerve of him to continue with us right there…” Anger edged her voice before it fell off again and she hummed lightly. “But if you feel bad for dropping the berries, well, you’ll just have to make it up by doing dishes afterward, hm?”

He hoped the face he made was more smile than grimace. Not that he didn't want to help with dishes, oh no, he was more than happy to. It was just the pain and embarrassment coloring him still.

Yhen'a's aunts were a little frantic upon their return, then heated once the situation was explained. Yhen'a had to shoo them elsewhere while A'caji sat down in the washroom and tried his best to rinse his eyes with a bucket and cup that were brought to him. But once his fiancée returned, he gently moved A'caji's hands away and had him shift his position next to the washtub. With A'caji's head tilted over the lip, Yhen’a thumbed one eyelid up. It  _ hurt _ and A'caji sneered while his eye struggled to squeeze itself shut. Yhen'a made a soft noise, though A'caji wasn't sure what face accompanied it, his vision still too blurred by dirt and tears.

Quietly, the other said, "Stay still best you can. I'll try to be quick." He gave a soft warning before he began pouring the water, but A'caji still jolted when it flowed against his eye, cool and odd and uncomfortable. He gave a reflexive grunt and Yhen’a soothed him, "I know. Just a little more."

He tried to focus instead how the water ran down his cheek and through his hair, the sound of it dripping into the basin. After a few more moments Yhen'a let go and his eye fell shut. He struggled to open it for a moment, but only because the water made it so. The dirt was gone and the pain had mostly dispersed. His other eye got the same treatment and A’caji laid his head back a moment longer before he felt a cloth wipe over his eyes, cheeks, and ruffle his hair. He straightened back up after, blinking a few times. He watched as Yhen’a wetted the cloth in what water remained. He held his hand out for it, but the other shook his head.

“I can do it,” Yhen’a smiled.

A’caji blinked. “So can I,” but he retracted his hand anyway, lacing his hands together in his lap.

Starting under his nose, Yhen’a gently dabbed the blood away. Though it had dried, he certainly didn’t want to cause his fiancée any pain and instead let the blood slowly come loose onto the cloth. Once he reached his lips though, he began to rub it away and he briefly stopped to wring the cloth before wiping his chin and a little at his neck. Yhen’a brought a hand up and picked at the low collar on A’caji’s tank top. When he looked down, he could faintly see dark spots against the black fabric.

“At least it’s dark,” he said, suddenly realizing he still felt a little out of it.

Yhen’a hummed and laid the washcloth over the edge of the bucket, then turned back to A’caji. His eyes flicked over his face and his own face pinched as he brought a hand up to lightly trace his fingertips under A’caji’s eyes. “It’s bruising already.” When all he got was a flat hum in return, Yhen’a settled in next to him, hip to hip, still facing him. With both hands he rubbed gentle circles under A’caji’s eyes and over his cheeks and it helped him focus away a little from his nose. It was quiet for a minute and A’caji’s eyes fell half-lidded, enjoying Yhen’a’s hands on his face, before he was asked, “What did Tahbe’a say?”

His eyes shut briefly before he opened them again and A’caji watched Yhen’a back for a moment. His voice had been—mostly steady, but with how his ears were pinned and his face even more pinched, he was very upset. He looked down. “Insulted both of us. Insulted who I am. He called me by my name, too.”

Yhen’a’s brows furrowed and his lips twitched. “Familiarly?” When A’caji nodded, his tail lashed around behind him. “He doesn’t have the  _ right _ —”

A’caji shook his head. “He doesn’t.”

He watched as Yhen’a struggled to come up with something to say through his anger and he looked around the room, as if looking for something to  _ do _ and finally he cupped A’caji’s head as he lowered his head against his own arm. “...If I see Tahbe’a anytime soon, I’m going to make him regret it,” he lifted his head and pressed a kiss to the corner of A’caji’s mouth. “I’m sorry, Caji.”

He gave a half shrug. “I should have known better.”

“Well, I’ve told you how Tahbe’a is; he knows exactly how to get under everyone’s skin,” Yhen’a frowned, then resumed rubbing circles into A’caji’s cheeks. “It’s hard to ignore it… Mama really doesn’t fault you, by the way. I promise.” A’caji silently chuckled, awkward, and Yhen’a gave him another kiss. “Really. She knows how awful Tahbe’a is. And I’m of the same mind as her: the fact he had the nerve to throw  _ dirt in your eyes _ and  _ punch you _ like that and—and then act like he did that fair and square and not because we distracted you…”

He watched as Yhen’a’s tail lashed again, his gaze far off, and A’caji brought a hand up to rub at one white ear. Once Yhen’a’s attention was back on him, he smiled. “I’m okay now. Or, I will be, once Yhen…” he trailed off, dropping his hand to rub his own circle low, low beneath Yhen’a’s bruised and bloodshot eye from yesterday's scuffle with his cousin, far enough to not cause discomfort. “Thank you for helping me.”

Almost without missing a beat, Yhen’a smiled back. “Of course. I’ll always help you,” He leaned in closer and wrapped his arms around A’caji’s neck, while his own settled in around Yhen’a’s back. “I love you.”

It was A’caji’s turn to softly press his lips to Yhen’a’s and on reflex he lightly slid his nose against the other’s. He flinched, a small sound of pain escaping him and he soothed the panicked look on Yhen’a with a quiet laugh. Yhen’a sighed, but hummed a laugh back and settled his forehead on A’caji’s shoulder. A’caji rubbed his cheek against his crown. “I love you too.”


	6. Bond (T)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For context, A'caji got pulled along with Thancred when the Exarch first tried to Call Yhen'a, thus he can't help him take the Light. :') Until...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can find me at @red_scorch on Twitter!

Yhen’a’s aether _burned_.

A’caji hadn’t fully understood what he was doing when he reached out to meet his partner’s aether. Not at all, really, he just knew he wanted to help him, stop his suffering, take some of the Light for himself, just—for _once_ protect Yhen’a as he protected him! G’raha was speaking, A’caji knew he was, but his attention was solely on Yhen’a who cried and yelled and writhed in his grasp. He pressed himself closer, holding the other so tight his arms hurt, his aether reaching out to him. _Please…_

His aether shifted and for a moment an unnatural warmth came over him before A'caji felt a muted crack, verging on painful, resonate through him before the real pain flared through. He tried to gasp, but his breath fled him in shock. He _burned_ and for a moment he fell limp against Yhen’a before he regained himself. It — it _hurt_. It was so hot and overwhelming, his vision whiting slightly around the edges. It stabbed at him, digging beneath his skin and he groaned at the same time as Yhen’a. He keenly felt his own pain, but somehow he felt Yhen’a even more acutely, could feel the maelstrom raging through him.

“A’caji!?” He heard Alisaie shout. Varying Scions called out, all panicked, but they sounded a touch muffled. He wondered distantly through the pain what they were seeing.

A’caji righted himself enough to squint at his partner, whose face was still twisted in agony, but it seemed a little less and his ears no longer quite as flat against his head.

“I—,” the sound of G’raha’s voice drew his attention for a moment. His speech had stuttered to a halt, his eyes wide in shock. But after just a moment, he schooled his face back to that determined, accepted look. “No matter. Even should you help relieve Yhen’a of the burden, it will still be too much for the both of you. Neither of you shall suffer this.” He looked down briefly before looking at them with a sad smile. “Fare you well, my friends.”

He motioned his staff forward and the circle around A’caji and Yhen’a grew. A’caji knew he should get up. Stop him. But between not wanting to leave his partner and how the Light was now bearing down on _him_ , the magic pulling at _him_ as well now, he found he absolutely could not move. He watched G’raha close his eyes, at peace with his decision, Yhen’a trying to shout through the pain…

And then the shot rang loud.


	7. Yearn (E)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chryses: A'caji's amaurotine self  
> Eleos: Yhen'a's amaurotine self  
> You can find me at @red_scorch on Twitter!

Chryses trembled and arched, sighing under the hands that pressed firmly against his skin, running up his sides. Warm lips met his Adam's apple and immediately he bared his neck to give them better access as they mouthed and licked into the dip in his throat. He moaned, grasping a little blindly with how shut tight his eyes were, hands coming to rest on a broad back. He found himself… light-headed, distant, like he was on the verge of slipping away. His eyes refused to open despite how he tried to force them and he felt like he shouldn’t know who was pressed so tightly against him, warm and comforting and arousing. But he did; those hands so familiar and large in comparison to him.

His name left Chryses in a small sigh. The other pressed closer, lips to his ear as he whispered something to him. Chryses couldn’t understand it, but he found himself giving an affirmative hum, arching up into him. Ah, he felt like he was overheating, dizzy. He called his name again, eager for more. It was given to him as the other’s mouth ran hotter against him and one hand wrapped around him. He bit his lip to keep from yelling, bucking into the hand that worked him so perfectly. He muttered under his breath soft encouragements. He felt himself start to spiral higher when that voice returned to his ear, loving and thick.

_ “Chryses…” _

Everything stopped at once —i t was so jarring he found himself dizzy for a different reason. It took Chryses a long, long moment to finally open his eyes to the high ceiling of his apartment. And then he made a growly, frustrated sound. He kicked the covers off with equal irritation, shifting uncomfortably. Again.  _ Again. _ He supposed he should be thankful this type of dream didn’t come to him often as it probably could. It was always hard to look Eleos in the eye in the hours after without his mind being drawn back to the latest it itself had conjured up for fear of his friend seeing his gaze grow heavy.

And as he stewed in the vague memory of the dream and phantom hands against him, the need of his body came back to the front of his mind. He took a deep breath, his chest and shoulders moving with the movement, and let it out in a rush. A glance at the clock told him he had nowhere to be yet — it was his and Eleos’ day off from Concepts and they planned on taking a trip to the neighboring city. Looking back up to the ceiling, he drew his smallclothes down and off. He settled back against the sheets, his right hand resting over his chest as his left slowly trailed down his stomach, softly taking himself into hand. A shaky breath left him as his hand slid along, smearing what precum had already gathered. He closed his eyes, thought about familiar hands on him, a mouth that he didn’t know the feel of, but wished he could. The sound of his friend’s voice low in his ears. Chryses threw his arm over his eyes, hips gently rolling and his hand moving faster. He panted, pleasure spiking along him. While he hadn’t, couldn’t,  _ see  _ anything in the dream, he could almost perfectly imagine silver eyes blown in arousal, an adoring smile spread across his face, whispering his name again. Oh,  _ oh, he loved him _ _ — _

_ “Eleos.” _

Chryses’ toes curled into the sheets as he came, moaning and gasping, hand gripping harder and stuttering as he spilled over onto his stomach. He laid there, boneless for a couple minutes, the vision of his dream slipping further away. Eventually, he shivered, suddenly feeling a little cold, a little alone in the bed. He sighed again, this time in disappointment… both at himself and the lack of who he truly wanted there with him. He should… maybe cook for himself today. Clean a little. Try to take his mind off of it before he met up with Eleos.

He snapped his fingers and suddenly he was clean, a loose wrapping of cloth over his torso and new smallclothes secure over him. As he shuffled out of bed, he tried to forget the distant feeling of hands holding him.


	8. Mage/Minstrel AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An AU in which neither of them are WoLs, just a wandering minstrel and a mage all alone out in the desert.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can follow me at @red_scorch on Twitter!

Caji was returning across the sands with his latest haul from Siowanne, his packs heavy against his back, when he saw it far in the distance. He didn’t think much of it, merely took note of it subconsciously as he slid down a dune. A dark shape, too large for any small animal, but too still and… somehow not quite right to be a hyena or the like. He didn’t feel any need for concern, so he briefly forgot about it as he strode forward.

It wasn’t until he was a couple dozen yalms from it that he realized that it very much wasn’t a hyena, but a  _ miqo’te _ . Nearly face down in the sand, still, his hood no longer doing him any good with how the wind swept westward, white strands of hair lightly moving with it. Caji halted, his tail twitching. He… should check. Maybe. But self-preservation said to leave him alone; don’t invite trouble, just in case he was alive. But then he thought of Siowanne and her chocobo and, while not quite the same… Caji stepped closer to the figure, crouching down next to him. Well, if he had already passed, he could give him a proper burial at least.

“Hey,” he said quietly, voice rough. He poked at a shoulder with a claw and when there was no response, pushed him harder with a knuckle. He didn’t have the stiffness or smell of death on him. He certainly hadn’t smelled it from far away or this close up, so that was promising for the other. He rolled him over next, face up out of the sand and briefly studied him. He was breathing, barely and raggedly, and when Caji took a hand to feel the strength of his pulse, his skin was extremely dry. He could even tell it in his lips, dark as night as his skin was.

Caji sighed to himself, staring into the horizon for a moment. Fine, fine. He certainly couldn’t just leave him here if he was still alive. He unhooked his waterskin from his hip and took a moment trying to prop the miqo’te up to have the water slide down his throat. Not too much — he could have more once Caji set him up in his tent. He stopped for a moment, ears flicking, and peered over his shoulder to the packs still sitting heavy against him and thought of the distance he still needed to travel.

This… would be difficult.

Between his packs, the miqo'te and  _ his _ bags, Caji didn't return to his home until after the sun had set and the stars were beginning to twinkle in the sky. Once they were both divested of their packs and the man's cloak untied from him, Caji hefted him onto his bedroll. He took a few moments to catch his breath before giving him another drink, then grabbed a chipped bowl and went to fill it from the small watering hole just outside. When he returned, he crouched down close by and brought one hand up, closing it in a loose fist. For a moment he stayed still, focusing, and then when he opened his hand, a chunk of ice lay in his palm. It plopped into the bowl and after stirring it a moment, he soaked an old cloth in the lightly iced water and wrung it out before laying it across the other's forehead.

Caji studied him a moment before stretching, then peered about the tent. It would take time to know for sure if he was taking to the water and cooling down enough. For now, it was nearly dark out. He should get a fire going and figure food out. The fire came first — scraps went into the small pit in the middle of the tent and when he snapped his fingers a small flame lit along his index finger. With the fire lit, he secured the front flaps of the tent to help air circulation and dumped a few of his blankets on the man. He spent the next bit wandering outside his camp to nearby cacti, cutting off a couple chunks and flicking the spines out, snapping off a few pieces of reddish pink fruit alongside. On the far side of the watering hole he took a few stems of chia sage and once everything was washed and cut as it needed to be, it all was thrown into another bowl.

Just as he was about to go right outside the tent to take in the sky as he ate, the miqo’te stirred. Caji whipped his head around, tail lashing, not expecting the movement. After a quick moment he relaxed and set his bowl down, kneeling next to the man. Silver eyes slitted open to meet him. They were hazy and obviously not all there. The other groaned and Caji picked up his waterskin once more. “Here,” he guided, sliding a hand beneath his head and lifting it up. The miqo’te offered barely any help, but it was enough for Caji to bring the lip to his mouth. At first he didn’t react, but then he began swallowing and Caji took that as a good sign.

The man groaned when the waterskin was pulled away, but it wouldn’t do any good to give him too much and have him throw the water back up. “Sleep,” he said instead, settling him back down. No sooner than that did his eyes close and his breathing evened back out.

Caji watched him another moment as he rewet the cloth, then took his dinner outside with him as he meant to before. He crouched just outside the entrance, gazing up at the sky as he picked through his bowl. The sky had long since grown black and blue, the stars above a bright painting. His eyes skimmed them, looking for constellations he could only partially remember and the stories he could recall even less so. He had filled in the blanks as he wished over the years, unable to remember what was his and what was not. After not too long the cold began to set in and he decided the darkness behind his eyelids was more welcomed than the dark of the sky. He looked forward to the warmth of the sun the next day.

With the fire doused and the tent shut tight, he curled up on an adjacent side of the tent to the other, facing out into the room and took what blankets he had left. As he tried to drift off, Caji found an odd noise he couldn’t place. It was quiet, almost rhythmic, and try as he might to ignore it, it burrowed further into his head… It took far too long to realize it was the miqo’te breathing. Caji opened his eyes, staring out into the dark, still focused on those deep breaths. They suddenly seemed louder, though he knew that wasn’t true. Nonetheless, he found himself somewhat annoyed, his tail thumping against rock.

How long had it been since he last shared a space with another being, so close he could hear their breath?

He didn’t sleep that night.

The stranger properly awoke sometime when the sun hit its peak the next day. Caji had gone out to water his plants, plucking some for lunch when he returned to the tent to find the other turning his head to look at him, surprised. It startled Caji again, who faltered briefly. From a distance he seemed more aware and for a moment they simply looked at one another.

“Did you help me?” The miqo’te broke the silence first, his voice cracking horribly.

Caji blinked, then slowly nodded. He laid his flowers and seeds on something resembling a small, short table, then unhooked the waterskin he had refilled earlier that day. He held it out to the other who blinked widely at it. "Drink," he said. "Not too much."

Eventually he shifted, rolling onto his side and propped himself up on an elbow. The waterskin shook in his hand as he uncapped it and Caji stayed close by in case he dropped it. His grip became more sure as he drank, slowly tilting it higher and higher, and Caji thought he might have to tell him to stop before he lowered it with a satisfied sigh. After a moment he looked up at Caji and smiled. He could see a hint of fang. "Thank you."

Caji nodded, unsure how to respond. He took the waterskin and moved back over to the table. Besides his flowers and seeds were a few cactus fruits he had picked earlier in the day. With a small knife, he set about cutting the skin off of two fruits, then opening them into fourths. 

He brought them back in a bowl to the other, who smiled and took it. The Keeper peered down at the fruit. “What’s this?” he asked, curious.

“Fruit. Cactus fruit,” he responded, feeling himself tripping over his words. “Good for water —replenishing it.” His mouth opened to add something else, he wasn’t sure what, and he closed it again. Instead he once again went back to the table and crouched, taking a couple flowers and shoving them into his mouth. Talking with Siowanne was difficult enough, and Caji had seen her three times a year for… seven years? Talking was tiring.

It was silent for a minute and in the meantime, Caji quickly ate before opening a small wooden box and retrieving a needle and thread. He needed to patch his cloak and a pair of his pants. As he situated his cloak in his lap, the other spoke.

“May I ask your name?” Caji stilled, then turned his head just enough to peer out the corner of his eye. The man took to laying on his side, propped up just enough to pop a piece of fruit into his mouth, waiting for Caji to respond as he chewed. When nothing came, he didn't seem put off. Rather, he smiled. “I’m Yhen’a Molkoh.”

Caji’s tail swayed and he looked back down to his cloak, searching for the tear. “Caji.”

“Caji…?” His voice trailed off. Caji recognized it as the same sort as when Siowanne asked his name the first time.

He slipped the needle through the cloth just below the tear. “Just Caji.”

There was a moment of silence, and then, "Thank you for saving me, Caji." When he turned to look at Yhen'a, he had a kind, thankful smile across his face. Caji supposed there was little other expression for the other to have after having his life saved, but, hmm.

It felt odd to have that directed at him.

They found not too long after that Yhen’a’s feet had badly blistered. It made sense—the man’s clothes, nevermind his boots, were a little too heavy and thick for the desert, and Caji knew there were no settlements for miles around. The fact Yhen’a was out as far as he was and hadn’t succumbed to severe dehydration was a mystery… While Caji rummaged for a salve he had left over from trading with Siowanne, curiosity got the best of him. 

The Keeper took the salve gratefully after his bloody socks had been removed, looking rather embarrassed with himself. He was a wandering minstrel (“Like a bard—I tell stories through song,” he explained at Caji’s confused look), on his way to the next town to perform. Somewhere along the way… he’d gotten lost. Very lost. What water he had with him ran out and he was unfamiliar with desert plants to risk trying to eat any of it to help hydrate himself.

“Really, thank you,” Yhen’a repeated once he’d finish speaking and had rubbed the salve into his skin. His eyes drooped and his voice fell a little weak. He would need to sleep again soon, Caji thought. “I wouldn’t have survived if you hadn’t shown up.” He merely nodded again. He couldn’t very well leave him out there, still alive as he was. He motioned for Yhen’a to lay down. He did so, and as he drifted off fast, he mumbled, “Do you… live out here?”

Caji nodded.

“Alone?”

He didn’t much feel like responding to that.

Caji’s lack of a response didn’t seem to deter him though. The next day, as he wrapped his feet in fresh cloth, Yhen’a asked, lightly and openly, “How long have you lived here?”

For a few seconds, Caji didn’t look up from where he was making a new batch of salve, scrapping the inside gel from the leaves he had laid out. He eventually peeked at the other before looking back down at his work. “Eight years.”

He heard Yhen’a make an odd noise in his throat. “Eight—...so long? Isn’t it lonely out here? If you don’t mind my asking, anyway.”

Caji supposed it was, for the first few months. But he realized how much more at peace he was for it. No one to scorn him or mock him, no one to dance around. He split the gel into smaller pieces before scooping it up and into a faded glass jar. “I like it.”

He hoped Yhen’a would leave it at that, and luckily the next he said after a pause was, “I understand.” As Caji half-crawled a few feet across the tent to set the jar next to the bedroll, he saw Yhen’a peering at his small shelf with different colored glass bottles and drying plants and seeds atop it. His eyes swept across the rest of the tent before he smiled at him. “It must be tough living out here, but you’ve made quite the home anyway.”

Caji nodded, a little grateful for the comment. His home was the only he knew, but he knew it was somewhat cramped, even if he  _ didn’t _ have shelves, ingredients, and other manner of things taking up space in the tent. But he had plenty to eat and drink, water to bathe in and peace and quiet to himself. He couldn’t ask for anything else.

Yhen’a recovered quickly over the next couple days. He still slept for a large stretches of time and was still a little too weak to get up and go out, which was maybe for the best anyway. His feet still needed to recover and surely the heat of the sun would be too much for him anyway. He made for talkative company, but he seemed to catch on when Caji required silence.

The music was different, though.

With Yhen'a being confined to the bedroll as he was, there was only so much to occupy him. With permission each time, he removed an instrument Caji vaguely recognized as a lute from one of his bags, sat up the best he could, and played until he grew too tired. The notes were slow, unhurried, and Caji could often hear them on the wind when he was on higher ground outside of the camp. He’d not heard an instrument played in years, but whatever he remembered at the edges of his mind, he was sure paled to what he heard now. Every note felt important, even if Caji didn’t know what story they were telling, rising to some forgone conclusion that oftentimes left him a little refreshed once the song fell silent. Sometimes he unintentionally stopped whatever he was doing to listen, trying to imagine what the notes could mean. More than once he’d been in the tent with Yhen’a when he finished playing and each time Caji peeked at him, Yhen’a happened to catch him and smiled. He didn’t sing to them though and Caji wondered if that meant there were no words to say or he was being quiet for his sake.

A couple days later Yhen’a was up and outside with no help, though still a little shaky on his legs and stepping gingerly. For a long moment Caji felt eyes on him as he sheared the wool off of a couple phurbles he had managed to hunt down. They would be their meal tonight too, though the meat was tough. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

Caji almost shook his head on reflex, then seriously considered it. “Do you know how to skin?”

He looked up as Yhen’a nodded. “I do, yes.”

Following Yhen’a’s speed, both of them took a phurble just out of camp to a low tree, to which they strung both animals up. As they worked, the other began speaking again, “I used to live with my mother and aunts in the Black Shroud, so I learned how to hunt—and skin—early on. I can help cook later, too, if you want.”

Caji hummed, noncommittal. It already felt odd having someone help with just this. Rather, he found himself more interested in something else. "The Black Shroud?" He mumbled. While not surprising, he'd never heard of a place like that. The name didn't sound welcoming.

Yhen'a made an affirmative noise. "It's a large, dense forest. There's a city in the middle of it called Gridania, but some tribes and families live out in the other parts of the Shroud,” he looked over at A’caji, smiling slightly before continuing his work. “It’s almost the opposite of here. The trees are so dense in some areas the sun can barely come through and it snows there every winter."

Caji tried to imagine it, but came up woefully short. Trees were far and few between in the desert, and on average not all that tall, and he’d heard of snow, but never seen it. His curiosity piqued. "...What else is it like?"

Yhen’a beamed at him.

Later, as the meat was cooking and Caji was gathering some small fruits from his garden to go with it, Yhen'a left the fire momentarily to wander over to him. He took a long moment gazing over the many plants before asking, “Even if you’ve lived here for so long… Isn’t it hard to grow so many plants out here?”

“For most," Caji responded. He held a hand over top of what plants were in his reach and a soft bluish-green glow lit just under his hand. Very slowly, he moved from one side of the garden to the other and the plants perked up ever so slightly from where some had begun to look sad, and each grew back just a touch of what had been taken off the last few days.

Yhen'a blinked. “You’re a mage?”

Caji retracted his hand, closing it. "Kind of."

"'Kind of?' That's amazing though. I don't know anyone else who can do that type of magic."

When Caji looked up, Yhen'a looked… actually amazed and Caji didn't know how to tell him how underdeveloped his powers really were. "It's not much."

The other tilted his head at him, considering. "If you think so, I've heard there's a guild where you could learn more if you wanted."

Caji rejected the notion immediately, though a small flicker of hope made his heart clench. It wouldn't be the same. He looked back down at the fruits in his hands, shuffling them. "The meat will char."

This man was nosy.

A few more days passed yet and Caji grew even more used to Yhen'a. He almost felt as if he couldn't help it. For all Caji wasn't used to being around other people anymore, he still found the company enjoyable. Yhen'a was a welcoming presence—he was learning more when Caji grew tired of conversation, but on the other side Caji was getting used to listening longer and talking back just a little more. Yhen'a's songs were interesting and he often spoke of where he learned the song and the meanings behind them. He spoke of the many places he'd seen in his travels; the sights he'd seen, the food he ate. Caji didn't have a frame of reference for much of it, but it sounded… wonderful.

His chest began to tighten just a little as the days wore on. He wasn't sure why that was.

Eventually, Yhen'a recovered. Caji thought he stayed a couple days longer than he really needed to, but maybe he wasn’t looking forward to returning to wandering the desert. Luckily, Caji knew the direction of the next town as Siowanne always headed that way after trading with him. It would be a long way to travel, but there was another watering hole not far from his own, thankfully, and Caji would make sure Yhen’a had more water on him. Food, too.

“Thank you for letting me stay,” the Keeper told him as he packed his lute up. He was going to be leaving once the sun set against the horizon. Once night came the air would cool off quickly, but for him that was preferred to the staggering heat that came with the daytime.

Caji screwed the lid shut on a glass jar he had filled with seeds and dried fruit. “Of course.”

He brought the jar over to Yhen’a, who thanked him as he took it. He secured it in one of his bags before looking back at him. “You… could come with me, if you wanted.”

His ears flew forward at the same time his face pinched up. That same feeling of revulsion and hope filled him and he made a sound. He wasn’t even sure what it was meant to convey.

Yhen’a’s own expression became somewhat pinched, but he smiled. “You seemed interested in my stories and, maybe it's too much for me to assume, but I've already noticed you changed a little since I first woke up, like…" he trailed off before continuing instead to say, "If you'd like the company, you could come with me. Since I travel everywhere, you'd see a lot of new things."

Caji stared at him for a long time, that mixed feeling starting to rise higher. He shoved it down. He turned away to start stretching his wool apart for spinning. "I can't leave."

Yhen'a made an odd sound, like he was undecided of what exactly he wanted to say. Finally, "What's keeping you here?"

Fear of being hated, fear of being cast out, fear that that look of disgust would follow him again. Though Yhen'a hadn't directed any vitriol towards him (Caji was sure he could tell he was half-Seeker, half-Keeper, it wasn't the hardest to see)... he could still change his mind. And—what would he even do, away from here? Living at this oasis was all he knew now. 

Caji realized he had been silent for so long and so absorbed in his thoughts that he had broke the wool apart and Yhen'a sighed behind him."I understand."

Caji wished he could tell him so he  _ could _ understand.

Sunset came and Caji saw Yhen'a off on higher ground above camp. They exchanged a few words before Yhen'a backed up a little and looked off in the distance of where he was meant to travel. His eyes met Caji's again. "My offer still stands. You can come with me—it would be no issue."

Caji dug his claws into his hands. He shook his head.

Yhen'a smiled, sad at the edges. "Goodbye, Caji."

He dug his claws deeper, felt the skin break. "...Goodbye."

He watched until Yhen'a was a vague shape in the distance, then went back down into the oasis. It was fine. He was fine. Even if he'd grown used to the other's company, he could also get used to having  _ no _ company again. He'd done it before. Better to save himself any grief that might come later… So he ignored the pricking sensation along his spine, the sense of loss. It was fine. He threw himself back into spinning his wool.

He was restless, later, when he laid himself down to sleep. He tossed and turned and curled himself up tight. It took him time to realize just how quiet his tent had become again. No soft talking as he drifted off, no one's breathing but his own, no  _ presence  _ but his own. He curled up as much as he could. It was fine. He was fine. He'd grown used to living and surviving alone.

_ He thought of being knocked out, waking up during dusk with none of the tribe in sight and blood dried to his temple, knowing his time had finally run out with the passing of his mother and the feelings of  _ _ all _ _ of it an odd mangled ball in his chest. He was alone now. Left behind. Left behind. _

He didn’t want that to happen again.

Caji gasped, body locking with the realization before he was tearing out of his bedroll. He only took one bag. It was all he had the patience for. He rolled his bedroll up and shoved it in along with a blanket, took a few jars of dried herbs and fruits and salves, hooked his waterskin to his hip and tore out of the tent. It would take him  _ hours _ to catch up with Yhen’a if he had continued walking from the time he left the oasis,  _ but _ —Caji ran faster anyway. He was used to traversing the desert and would last longer, and the rapid beating of his heart just urged him forward.

Eventually, and he wasn’t sure how much later it was, he saw the other watering hole he had mentioned to Yhen’a before. It was next to barren, out in the open unlike his had been, and he could just make out a flicker of flame as he drew closer. His lungs burned something awful and the closer he got, the more his legs refused to run. 

It felt like forever until he was close enough for Yhen’a to hear his steps, his ear turning and then his head in alarm before he scrambled up to his feet. “Caji!? You’re—are you okay?”

“I—” Once Caji drew within a few feet of him he stopped and almost doubled over, gripping his knees with his hands. “I…” Taking just an extra moment to gulp down some air, he looked up to Yhen’a and his heart clenched.  _ I don't want to be alone. _ “I want to come with you."

His voice grew more quiet with each word and he worried they had been carried off by the wind, unable to be heard. But Yhen’a’s expression softened and he beamed at him, ears and tail flicking. “I’m glad.” He held his hand out to which Caji stared frozenly at. Hesitantly he straightened up and began to reach out with his own before he stopped, gazing back at Yhen’a. When he nodded, Caji gently took the other’s hand. The night had made his skin cool.

“Welcome, Caji.”


End file.
